GROWING OUR FOOD
LESSON PLAN OVERVIEW
Career: Farmers and ranchers grow crops and raise animals to supply our food.
Lesson: This lesson plan provides activities for students to learn where our food comes from. Students will learn about the fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products farmers and ranchers provide. Students will pretend being farmers by planting their own garden and monitoring the growth of the plants.
Grade Level: Elementary Grades
Learning Objectives:
〉 Students will explore the career of a farm/ranch manager and learn about what they do.
〉 Students will learn about the food that farmers and ranchers grow and then play a game to identify farming products.
〉 Students will pretend to be farmers by planting a classroom garden and monitoring the growth of the plants.
Materials Needed:
Activity #1: Agriculture BINGO
〉 Farming Crop cards
〉 Student worksheet
〉 A 6-sided die
〉 Agriculture Bingo cards – 1 per student
〉 Beans (any variety) – Use beans to cover answers on Bingo cards.
〉 Optional: Award ribbon for Bingo winners (provided)
Activity #2: Let’s Grow a Garden
〉 Student worksheet
〉 Containers – cardboard egg carton (cut into 12 individual cups), mouthwash cups, or small solo cups – 1 cup per student
〉 Potting soil
〉 Vegetable seeds – suggest beans, peas, or flower seeds
〉 Ruler – measure plants as they grow
〉 Optional: if school garden is available, germinate seeds in cups, then plant them in the school garden and monitor their growth
TEACHER GUIDE
Lesson Instructions: The following activities will help you introduce students to careers in agriculture. Begin the lesson by reading the Class Message below to your students, then have them watch the recommended career video. Afterwards, facilitate a discussion using the Class Questions listed below.
After the discussion, students will work on two activities. Each activity has a printable worksheet with student instructions and areas to record their work. Have students read their worksheets before beginning each activity.
You should also familiarize yourself with the student worksheets to provide assistance when needed, help demonstrate any procedures, and help in facilitating the discussion that ends each activity.
Class Message: Today, we are going to learn about farmers and ranchers. Do any of you know what farmers and ranchers do? Farmers and ranchers grow and supply our food.
Farmers grow fruits, vegetables, nuts, cotton, trees, and other crops for fuel, clothing, and shelter. Ranchers raise animals for meat, eggs, milk, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products we enjoy!
In this lesson, you will learn about the food that farmers grow and then use a graph to calculate crop yield to find out what crops will make the most money from farmland. Crop yield is the measurement of how much of a crop can be grown on an acre of land. Some crops yield more for each acre of land than other crops do. You will also learn about a different way of farming by exploring hydroponics. Hydroponics is growing plants in water instead of soil. We will work together to make a hydroponic garden in our classroom.
Let’s watch this short video to learn more about careers in farming and ranching
Class Discussion Questions:
〉 What are some vegetables a farmer might grow? - Response suggestions: tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc.
〉 What are some fruits a farmer might grow? - Response suggestions: apples, oranges, grapes, etc.
〉 Do you know what foods we get from a dairy farmer? - Response suggestions: milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, etc.
Activities Overview: This lesson plan includes two student activities. Activity #1 challenges students in a fun way to identify food items that are grown by farmers. In Activity #2, students will pretend being farmers by planting a classroom garden.
Read and familiarize yourself with the student worksheet for each activity.
Activity #1: Agriculture BINGO
Students will learn about the different kinds of food that farmers and ranchers grow and then play Bingo to show their recognition of different foods.
Activity Instructions:
〉 Hand out the student worksheet.
〉 Print and cut out the Farming Crop cards below. Use these cards to teach students the different types of fruits and vegetables that farmers grow. If possible, project the cards on a whiteboard or screen.
〉 Next, print out enough Bingo cards so each student has one (1) card. Note: There are only 14 different Bingo card versions, so there could be multiple winners in each game.
〉 Select the type of Bingo. Bingo can be played with the goal being to cover different parts of the Bingo board. Typical goals are: any horizontal row, any vertical column, an “X” of the squares from each corner crossing to the opposite corners, etc.
〉 Using the Farming Crop cards, role the 6-sided die to choose a group (1-6), then role the die again to select the crop. If that crop has already been used, use the next crop in that group. Show the card to the students and read the description out loud.
〉 Students should look at their Bingo cards for the picture of the crop and mark it if they have one on their card. Continue randomly selecting crops until a student has a Bingo.
〉 If time permits, play additional game with a different Bingo goal.
〉 After completion, facilitate a discussion using the questions for the activity.
Activity Results: This activity introduces students to the various crops farmers and ranchers grow to supply our food.
Activity Discussion:
〉 What fruits or vegetables have you eaten before? - Allow students to share their experience.
〉 What fruits or vegetables do you like the most? - Which ones do you not like? Allow students to share their experience.
〉 Where do you think fruits and vegetables come from? - Sample answers may include: From the grocery store, from farms, my Mom, my parents, etc.
BINGO FARMING CROPS (GROUP 1)
APPLE
〉 A red or green fruit
〉 Grows on trees
BANANA
〉 A yellow or green fruit
〉 Grows on trees
BELL PEPPER
〉 A fruit, because they grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds
〉 Comes in many colors: green, red, orange, purple, and yellow
BROCCOLI
〉 A vegetable
〉 Green color with bushylooking heads
CARROT
〉 A root vegetable
〉 Orange color
CHERRY
〉 A red fruit
〉 Grows on trees
BINGO FARMING CROPS (GROUP 2)
CHICKEN
〉 A type of bird
〉 Feathers have many different colors: red, brown, white, yellow, and black
COW
〉 A type of livestock raised for beef and milk production
〉 Hides come in a variety of colors: brown, white, and black
COCONUT
〉 A brown, hairy-looking fruit; not a nut
〉 Grows on trees
CORN
〉 A vegetable
〉 Comes in several varieties for human consumption, livestock feed, and biofuels
DAIRY
〉 Food products made from milk, like butter, cheese, sour cream, and yogurt.
EGG
〉 Typically laid from chicken, ducks, or geese
〉 A good source of protein
BINGO FARMING CROPS (GROUP 3)
FISH
〉 A wide variety of types: tuna, salmon, herring, sardines, trout, etc.
〉 A good source of protein
LEMON
〉 A sour-tasting citrus fruit
〉 Grows on trees
GRAPE
〉 A fruit
〉 Comes in different colors: green, black, and red
〉 Grows on vines
HONEY
〉 A food made by bees
〉 Eaten with other foods and used in baking
〉 If well-sealed, does not spoil
LETTICE
〉 A leaf vegetable
〉 Eaten raw or cooked
SEAFOOD
〉 Includes many different types: shellfish, clams, oysters, crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.
〉 Can be caught in the wild or farmed in fish farms
BINGO FARMING CROPS (GROUP 4)
MUSHROOM
〉 A fungus
〉 Edible mushrooms are used in many types of meals
ONION
〉 A vegetable that comes in several colors: red, yellow, or purple
〉 Used to add extra flavor to many types of meals
ORANGE
〉 A citrus fruit high in vitamin C
〉 Grow on trees
PEACH
〉 A fruit that grows on trees
〉 Originally from Northwest China, but now common in Southeast US states, like Georgia
PEAR
〉 A fruit that grows on trees
〉 High in vitamin C and potassium
PEES
〉 A vegetable that grows in pods on vines
〉 High in fiber and iron
BINGO FARMING CROPS (GROUP 5)
PEANUT
〉 A legume, a type of food grown for its edible seeds
〉 Adds nutrients back to the soil
〉 Eaten alone and used in many different meals
PIG
〉 A livestock animal raised for food
〉 Provides different types of foods: ham, pork chops, bacon, and sausage
POTATO
〉 A root vegetable
〉 The most popular vegetable in America
PUMPKIN
〉 A vegetable that grows on a vine
〉 Different colors: orange, yellow, white, green, and red
PINEAPPLE
〉 A tropical fruit
〉 Does not grow on trees
〉 High in the vitamin C
RADISH
〉 A root vegetable
〉 Often grown with other crops because their smell keeps away many insects
BINGO FARMING CROPS (GROUP 6)
RICE
〉 A type of grain
〉 One of the top 3 crops in the world
SHEEP
〉 A livestock animal raised for food
〉 Their hair can be shaved off to make wool yarns and fabric
STRAWBERRY
〉 A fruit
〉 Grows on a vine
TOMATO
〉 A fruit that is actually a berry
〉 Grows on a vine
WATERMELON
〉 A fruit
〉 Grown on a vine
WHEAT
〉 A type of grain
〉 Has kernels growing on tall grass-like stalks
Activity #2: Let’s Grow a Garden?
Students will learn about the use of alternative farming by creating a hydroponic garden in the classroom.
Activity Instructions:
〉 Prior to activity, cut off the top part of the 2-liter bottles, cut the cotton rope or a towel in 6 to 8-inch strips to make wicks (one for each group), and pre-mix Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Plant Food - 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.
〉 Before the experiment, show this video on Vertical Farming: (http://tn-caps.com/r/35FM1)
〉 Hand out the student worksheet.
〉 Divide the class into groups.
〉 Distribute the activity materials.
〉 Introduce the activity and guide students as needed.
〉 After completion, facilitate a discussion using the questions for the activity.
Activity Results: Students will learn about alternative farming by creating a hydroponic garden and monitoring its growth.
Activity Discussion:
〉 How is growing plants in water different from growing plants in soil? - Sample answers may include: plants that grow in water get their nutrients from plant food and artificial light, where plants in soil get their nutrients from the soil, sunlight, water, and air.
〉 Do you think that hydroponics is a good way to produce food? - Allow students to share their opinion.
〉 Do you think hydroponics could feed the world in the future? - Allow students to share their opinion.
〉 What do you think are some of the benefits of having a hydroponic system? What are some downfalls? - Sample answers may include: Benefits – grow indoors vertically taking up less space than farming, requires less manual labor, avoids issues like drought, insects, and weather. Downfalls – costs more than traditional farming which increases the cost of products; system malfunctions affect plants faster; power outages; requires special water; waterborne diseases spread quickly.
CAREER INSIGHT
Career Highlight: This lesson plan highlights some of the concepts and skills farmers and ranchers use daily to grow our food. See the Employers in My Area section to contact businesses and organizations in your area about classroom demonstrations, on-site visits, or other additional career exposure opportunities.
Featured Career:
Farm & Ranch Manager
Career Descriptions: Farmers and ranchers plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquaculture operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments. May hire, train, or supervise farm workers or contract for services to carry out the day-today activities of the managed operation. May engage in or supervise planting, cultivating, harvesting, financial, or marketing activities.
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically do the following:
〉 Supervise all steps of the crop production and ranging process, including planting, fertilizing, harvesting, and herding
〉 Determine how to raise crops or livestock by evaluating factors such as market conditions, disease, soil conditions, and the availability of federal programs
〉 Select and purchase supplies, such as seed, fertilizers, and farm machinery
〉 Ensure that all farming equipment is properly maintained
〉 Adapt their duties to the seasons, weather conditions, or a crop’s growing cycle
〉 Maintain farm facilities, such as water pipes, hoses, fences, and animal shelters
〉 Serve as the sales agent for livestock, crops, and dairy products
〉 Record financial, tax, production, and employee information
Other Names for this Career: Farmer, Rancher, Grain Farmer, Ranch Manager, Sow Farm Manager, Accredited Farm Manager (AFM), Farm Operator, Farm Manager, Dairy Farmer, Cash Crop Farmer
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Activity #1 AGRICULTURAL BINGO
English Language Arts
〉 Identify and explain how illustrations and words contribute to and clarify a text.
〉 Add drawings or other visual displays of descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
Activity #2 Lets Grow a Garden Science Standards
〉 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
1) Use information from observations to identify differences between plants and animals (locomotion, obtainment of food, and take in air/gasses).
2) Recognize differences between living organisms and non-living materials
〉 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
1) Make observations to describe that young plants and animals resemble their parents.
〉 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
1) Recognize the structure of plants (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) and describe the function of the parts (taking in water and air, producing food, making new plants).
2) Illustrate and summarize the life cycle of plants.
3) Analyze and interpret data from observations to describe how changes in the environment cause plants to respond in different ways.
〉 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
1) Conduct an experiment to show how plants depend on air, water, minerals from soil, and light to grow and thrive.
3) Recognize how plants depend on their surroundings and other living things to meet their needs in the places they live.
Science and Engineering Practices
Planning and carrying out controlled investigations to collect data that is used to test existing theories and explanations, revise and develop new theories and explanations, or assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and durability of designs under various conditions.
EDUCATOR RUBRIC
ITEM
BINGO
Planting Process
Does Not Meet Expectations
Student struggled following the instructions and/or could not identify many of the fruits and vegetables in the game
Student did not correctly follow the instructions for the planting process.
Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Student followed instructions and could identify some of the fruits and vegetables in the game
Student correctly followed all the steps in the planting process.
Students followed instructions and was able to identify most fruits and vegetables in the game
Student correctly followed all the steps in the planting process.
Recording Data
Student did not record their observations
Student recorded their observations
Student worked well in their pair, contributed equally and exhibited leadership.
Discussion Did not participate in the activity discussions. Participated in the activity discussions. Participated in the activity discussions and made connections to real world experiences and the profession of farming.
ACTIVITY #1: AGRICULTURE BINGO
Introduction: Today we are going to learn about some of the things farmers and ranchers grow to supply us with the food we eat.
Activity Description: We will learn about some of the fruits and vegetables farmers grow. Then we’ll play Agriculture Bingo!
Activity Procedure:
〉 The teacher will hand out an agriculture bingo card to each student, and markers to cover the squares on the bingo cards.
〉 Your teacher will show you the type of bingo pattern that you are trying to make with your bingo card.
〉 Your teacher will then select a type of crop and show you the crop information.
〉 Using the crop information and the picture, cover that crop’s square on your card.
〉 As more crops are shown, you will cover more squares on your bingo card. Once you have the correct squares covered to make the bingo pattern, call out, “BINGO!” The teacher will check your card to make sure you covered the right squares to make the bingo pattern.
Activity Discussion:
〉 What fruits or vegetables have you eaten before?
〉 What fruits or vegetables do you like the most? Which ones do you not like?
〉 Where did you think fruits and vegetables come from?
MANAGER: GROWING OUR FOOD
MANAGER: GROWING OUR FOOD
MANAGER: GROWING OUR FOOD
ACTIVITY #2: LET’S GROW A GARDEN
Introduction: Farmers grow crops and ranchers raise animals to supply us with food. Farmers grow fruits, vegetables, nuts, cotton, trees, and other crops for food, fuel, clothing, and shelter.
Activity Description: You will get to play being a farmer by planting your own garden and watching the growth of the plants
Activity Procedure:
〉 Fill your cup half way with potting soil.
〉 Put a couple of vegetable seeds on top of the soil.
〉 Cover the seeds with more potting soil leaving a little space at the top of the cup.
〉 Lightly water your plant daily and make sure it gets sunshine.
〉 As the plant starts to grow, use a ruler to measure its growth?
Activity Discussion:
〉 Have any of you helped your family plant a tree or flowers in your yard? How was that like planting our classroom garden?
〉 How long do you think it will take before the seeds start to grow?
〉 Why do you think plants need plenty of sunshine and water to grow?
